6/30/2021
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The prosecution presented seven witnesses: complainants (1) Ramirez, (2) Tucay, and
(3) Christopher Yambao (Yambao); police officers (4) Police Officer 2 Zandro B. Llacuna
(PO2 Llacuna), (5) Senior Police Officer 4 Ronald Alvaira (SPO4 Alvaira), and (6) Senior
Police Officer 3 Valerian Papelleras (SPO3 Papelleras); and (7) Philippine Overseas
Employment Administration (POEA) Representative Eraida Dumigpi (POEA Rep.
Dumigpi).[8]
Ramirez testified that sometime in March 2009, he was referred to Jennifer Magat
(Magat) who, at that time, was in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija looking for job applicants.
Magat instructed him to go to a medical clinic in Malvar Street, Manila and paid
P5,000.00 for the processing of documents. Thereafter, Magat introduced him to
appellant, whom she identified as her boss. Appellant represented herself as a licensed
agent of Pert/CPM Manpower Exponents Company, Inc. (Pert/CPM Manpower) and
promised him that he would be deployed to Qatar as a waiter within six (6) months.
Afterwards, appellant took the job application documents of Ramirez for processing and
Ramirez paid her a total of P34,000.00 as payment for the training fee, medical
examination, visa application, and POEA Certificate. Ramirez demanded for a receipt
but appellant did not issue one. Eventually, Ramirez and the other complainants
discovered that appellant was not an agent of Pert/CPM Manpower and reported the
matter to PNP-CIDG. Police officers took Ramirez's statement and thereafter, devised a
plan to conduct an entrapment operation against appellant. During the entrapment
operation, Tucay, Yambao, and Richard Peroche[9] (Peroche), handed their payments to
appellant who was thereafter, apprehended.[10]
Tucay testified that in April 2009, she met Magat, who instructed her and a certain Emil
Catacutan to go to Manila if they wanted to apply for work abroad. In Manila, Tucay
paid Magat P8,000.00 for her medical examination and processing of documents. Tucay
kept following up the status of her application but Magat insisted that these were still
being processed. Tucay threatened to file a case against Magat, who in turn, returned
P5,000.00 to her.
Magat introduced Tucay and the latter's boyfriend, Yambao, to appellant whom she
identified as her boss. Appellant told Tucay and Yambao that she will be the one to
process their applications. Appellant promised Tucay that she would be hired as a
receptionist while Yambao would be hired as a mechanical engineer. In exchange for
appellant's services, she paid appellant a total of P43,500.00. However, Tucay was not
deployed to Qatar as promised, instead appellant asked for an additional P5,000.00
from Tucay, Yambao, and Peroche for the issuance of a POEA Certificate. Meanwhile,
Tucay, Peroche, and Yambao discovered that appellant was not a licensed agent so they
reported her to the PNP. During the entrapment operation, Tucay, Yambao, and Peroche
met appellant to pay her the additional amounts and they were accompanied by police
officers wearing civilian clothes. After Peroche handed appellant the envelope
containing the marked money, the police officers arrested appellant.[11]
Yambao corroborated the testimony of Tucay to the effect that appellant promised that
she would process their job applications for abroad. Yambao paid appellant P37,500.00
as payment for his medical examination and processing fee. Yambao likewise confirmed
that appellant demanded from them an additional P5,000.00 for the release of their
https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/66642
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